Improvement in apparatus for nicking horses



fe by buckles.

HAMPTON DODGE, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

BUFFALO, NE T YORK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,904, dated March 17,1863.

To all whfom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, HAMPTGN DODGE, of the city of Budalo, in the Stateof' New lo'rk, havein vented certain ,new and useful improvements in`apparutusfon holding a horses tail in position during the process ofuieking; and I hereby declare that the following is a true and exactdescription of the same,'reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, and

to the letters of reference markedthereon.

In the annexed drawings,'the Figure 1 represents a horse with theapparatus` .in position.4

A, Fig. 2, consists of-a metallic plate, designated by that letter, andAwhich extends from the 'root of the hoses tail to the Withers, where itrests upon a metal plate formed somewhat 'in the lshape of a saddle'.lThis saddle, marked y C, has two screw-bolts, which pass through holes-in A and are kept in place by the taps d d. A has a number of holesinit, so that the 'saddle can bemoved backwardor forward,

and thus adapted'to the length of the horse.

vIo'the skirts ofthe saddle-C are attached two straps of leather orother suitable material, y which are suiciently long to overlap eachother, and are secured -together by a buckle. Two similar straps arefastened to yrin gs placed' in front of the-skirts of' C, which ringspass through` eyes secured by bolts 'to the'skirts.v These straps arefastened to the breast-strap` The oppositeend of the matallic straporplate A-.extends to the root of the horses tail, and is hinged at thatpoint,Y markedf, to barl of wood, jfof suitable length (see Fig. 2)-tosupport the tail gf the horse. From theV 'top of this bar, marked indotted lines, aleather strap, mark ed g, is exten ded,and

secured to a ring on A, and fastened by a buckle to a short strapattached4 tothe ring.

y H represents the crupper-bars, which consist of two prongs, attachedto A by a bolt, and, extending below the tail, serve to keep the plate A.in position. Between the upperend 'of the crupperrbars H and the hingefis a screw-bolt, passing through the two prongs,

.so that they can'be thrown farther apart or drawn together atpleasure."i

i The operation of my apparatus vis simple. As soon as the cords in thehorses tail are cut the tail is fastened to the hinged bar j, to whichthe strap g is already atta'ched. g` is buckled then to the ring on theplate A, andthe tail elevated to the required degree. l

The advantages 'resultiNn'g from my mode'o nicking are numerous. It isless cruel than the old method, for the tail, being always kept in oneposition,.the' wounds indicted heal in half the time.` The pulleys andweights used in theold system are apt to irritate or open vthe incisionsmade in the cords of the tail whenever the horse moves. t

Having thus described my invention, what I claim', and desireto secureby Letters Patent,

I. The saddle G, in connection with the metal plate A, for the purposeherein set forth. 2. The. hinged bar j, for the purpose speci- 3. Thestrap g, the baz-j, andthe crupperbars. H, arranged as-and for thepurpose herein set forth.

i In testimony thatI adopt the 'foregoing as.

